Body-brace.



No. 738,529. PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903.

I W. B. DEWBES.

BODY BRAGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1903. N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 738,529. PATBNTED SEPT. 8, 190'3. W. B. DEWBES.

BODY BRAGE.

APPLIOATIOI FILED n11. 21, 1903.

no xonnL. s SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W/[Twsses 17111671107" TNC- noums PEYERS on moroumo" msumsv PATENTEDSEPT. 8, 1903.

W. B. DEWEES. BODY BRAGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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Inventor WM a, 00m

Wllnesses ym co. PHOYO-LITHO, WASHINQTON. n c.

No. teases.

Patented September 8, 1903.

PATENT ()FFIon.

WILLIAM B. DEWEES, on SALINA, KANSAS.

BODY-BRACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,529, dated Septembr 8, 1903.

Application filed March 27,1903. Serial No. 149,877. (No model.)

To an whom it may concern: Be it known that 1, WILLIAM B. DEWEES, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at Salina, in thecounty of Saline and State of Kansas, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Body-Braces, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates more particularly to the style of body-braces orabdominal supports shown in United States Letters Patent Nos. 684,200and 719,311, dated, respectively, October 8, 1901, and January 27, 1903,which cover inventions made by me.

The general object is to simplify and improve the construction andadaptation of such body-braces or abdominal supports.

Particular objects are as follows: To provide a means for detachablyconnecting the hip-bows and securing-straps to the front plate, so thatthe brace maybe brought around from behind and fastened in front insteadof in the rear, as heretofore with this class of braces; to provide anarrangement whereby a brace of this class may be applied withoutstraining or bending the hip-bows; to so dispose the back pads and theconnections of the hip-bows and securing-straps therewith that thepressure shall be equally distributed on those parts of the body bestadapted to 0 bear it; ,to flatten the attachments so they will not catchor tear the clothing of the wearer, and to provide an extra band adaptedespecially for persons having large abdomens, a feature, however fromwhich all persons may obtain much comfort.

Theinvention consists of the'novel combination, arrangement, anddisposition of the parts, the preferred form of the embodiment whereofis herein described and claimed and is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a front view of the body-brace with a dotted outline of theextra band extended. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same complete asapplied to the patient. Fig. 3 is a top view of the stud attachment, byWhich the hip-bow and securing-strap are detachably connected to thefront pad. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section of the same throughthe line H of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a front view of the front plate, showingsuch attachments, the securing -strap being removed.

Fig. 6 isa side view of one ofsuch attachments. Fig. 7 is an end view ofa modified form of such attachment. Fig.- Sis an end view'thereof, andFig. 9 is a top view of such modified form. Fig. 10 is a rear view ofthe. back pads and connections. Fig. 11 is a section of the studattachment through the line 11 11 of Fig. 12, which is a side viewthereof. Fig. 13 is alongitudinal section of a part of the back pads andconnecting springs and attachment, as taken through the lines 13 13 ofFig. 10.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

A is the front pad. B O D E are the back pads arranged in pairs andconnected by the substantially vertical springs F and G, respectively. Iis the securing-strap. By securing-strap in this specification is meantthe strap encircling the hips and connecting the front and back pads. JJ are the hip-bows, also connecting the front and back pads. This muchof the brace is not new, and I will now point out more particularly thenew features.

On the front plate or pad A is a plate R, to which are attached thestuds S S, one for each hip-bow and securing-strap. The front' of thehip-bow terminates in a loopj, which is adapted to encircle the stud. Ashoulder r on the plate R is arranged to limit the outward movement ofthe hip-bow, but at the same time permit the inward movement of the bowso that the bow may easily conform to the movement of the body. Anotherform of a shoulder for the same purpose is shown in Figs. 7 and 9 andconsists of the extreme tip T being bent inwardly so as to engage theside of the plate R, as shown. The stud S is grooved at U, and the endof the securing-strap I is provided with a buckle or plate V, which hasa slot o, adapted to engage the groove U above the loopj, so as to holdthe loop in engagement with the stud. In this connection it may bestated that the connections I, H, and M between the pairs of back padsare flexiblethat is, they are of leather or web or elastic material orthe 1ike-so that the brace may be opened in front and bent in the rearwithout straining or bending the hipbows.

The securing-strap I is connected to the lower pads of the pairs of backpads, while be readily adjustable by means of the fiattened stud N,which is riveted to the plate by the rivet or other means at through onecorner of the stud. The hole 0, to accommodate the bow J, is locatedalong one side of the flat rectangular stud N and parallelto the planeof the back pads and the connectingspring G (or F,) and a set-screw P isinserted also in a plane parallel to the plane of said back pads andconnecting-springs and at substantially right angles to the hole'O tosecure the bow J. By this form of attachment I am able to avoid the useof the ordinary projecting stud or binding-post and avoid the catchingortearing of the wearers clothes.

' The final special feature of the invention consists of the'extra bandL, which is con nected to the front pad A and adapted for use especiallyon persons having large abdomens. The strap M, connecting centrally thesprings F and G, is provided with buckles m m. Theends of the extra bandL are bifurcated Z Z Z Z, and in applying the brace to the patient thelower ends overlap the upper ends, as indicated in Fig. 2, the two endsbeing secured together in the buckle m. In order to readily andcomfortably adjust the extra band L to the wearer, either end, the upperor the lower, may be drawn up so as to conform the band to the shape ofthe abdomen.

Before applying the brace the ends Z Z 21 are disengaged from thebuckles m m and the bow J and securing-strap I are disengaged from thestud S. To apply the brace, the patient may bring it around from therear to its proper position, place the loop j down over the stud S andbring the slotted buckle or plate V into engagement with the groove U,thereby securing the brace firmly. The extra band L may then be buckledup to conform to the shape of the abdomen, as heretofore explained.

There may be variations from the exact description shown herein and inthe drawings without departing from the spiritof' the invention.

What I claim is 1. In a body-brace a device for attaching the hip-bow tothe pad consisting of a stud on the pad, a terminal loop of the bowadapted to encircle the stud, and a shoulder to limit the outward butpermitting the inward movement of the bow.

' 2. In a body-brace a device for attaching, the hip-bow to the padconsisting of a stud on the pad, a terminal loop of the bow adapted toencircle the stud, a shoulder adapted to limit the outward butpermitting the inward movement of thehip-bow, and means for securing theloopon the stud.

3. The combination with the front and back pads, hip-bows, andsecuring-strap, connecting the front and back pads, of a device fordetachably connecting the hip-bow and securing-strap to the front padconsisting of the grooved stud on the pad, the terminal loop' of the bowadapted to encircle the stud, and a shoulder to limit the outward butpermitting the inward movement of the hipbow, the end of thesecuring-strap being slotted to engage the groove in the stud andholdthe terminal loop in place thereon.

4. The combination with the front and back pads, hip-bows, andsecuring-strap connecting the front and back pads, of a device fordetachably connecting the hip-bow and' se curing-strap to the front padconsisting of the stud on the pad, the terminal loop of the bow adaptedto encircle the stud, the end of the securing-strap being adapted toengage the stud and hold the terminal loop in connection therewith.

5. The combination with the front pad,back pads arranged in pairs, theconnecting-spring for each pair, the hip-bows connecting the frontpadand centrally the connecting-springs respectively, and thesecuring-strap connecting the front pad and the lower pads of the pairs;of a device for detachably connecting the hip-bow to the front padconsisting of the grooved stud on the pad, the terminal loop of the bowadapted to encircle the stud, and the shoulder to limit the outward butpermitting the inward movement of the how, the end of the securing-strapbeing slotted to engage the groove and hold the loop in connection withthe stud.

6. The combination with the front pad, the back pads arranged insubstantially vertical pairs, the connecting-springs for each pair, thehip-bows connecting the front pad and centrally the connecting-springsrespectively, the securing-strap connecting the front pad and the lowerpads of said pairs, and a strap connecting the upper pads of said pairsat the back, the connections between the pairs at the back beingflexible of the device for detachably connecting the hip-bow andsecuring-strap to the front pad consisting of the grooved stud on thepad, the terminal loop of the bow to engage the stud, and the shoulderto limit the outward but permitting the inward movement of the bow, theend of the securing-strap being slotted to engage the groove and holdthe terminal loop in place.

7. The combination of the front pad, the back pads arranged in pairs, aconnectingspring for each pair, hip-bows connecting the front pad andcentrally the connectingsprings respectively, and the securing-strapconnecting the front pad and the lower pads of said pairs.

IIO'

8. The combination of the front pad, back pads arranged insubstantiallyyertical pairs, connecting -springs for each pair, hip-bowsconnecting the front pad and centrally the connectingspringsrespectively,th e securingstrap connecting the front pad and the lowerpads of the pairs and the strap connecting the upper pads of the pairs.

9. The combination of the front pad, back pads arranged in substantiallyvertical pairs, the connecting-sprin g for each pair, hip-bowsconnecting the front pad and centrally theconnectingspringsrespectively,thesecuring strap connecting the front padand the lower pads of said pairs, and a strap connecting the upper padsof the pairs; and a device for adj ustably and detachably connecting thehipbows to the connecting-springs consisting of a flat rectangular studflatly and pivotally secured through one corner thereof to theconnecting-spring, a hole therein at one side of the pivot and parallelto the plane of the side of the pivot, parallel to the plane of the padand at right angles to said hole, to secure the hip-bow,

11. The combination of the front pad, back pads arranged insubstantially vertical pairs,

the connecting-spring for each pair, hip-bows connecting the front padand centrally the connecting-springs respectively, the securingstrapconnecting the front pad and the lower pads of the pairs, a strapconnecting the upper pads of the pairs, the extra abdominal back padsand the hip-bows and securingstrap, of an extra abdominal band attachedto the front pad having bifurcated ends, and a strap connected with theback pads and having buckles to secure the overlapping bifurcated endsof the extra band.

18. The combination with the front and back pads and the hip-bows of anabdominal support, of an extra abdominal band attached to the front padand having bifurcated and overlapping ends, and means for securing saidends.

14:. The combination with the front and back pads and the hip-bows andsecuring strap of an abdominal support, of the extra abdominal bandattached to the front and back pads.

15. The combination with the front and back pads and the hip-bows of anabdominal support,of the extra abdominal band attached to the front pad.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM B. DEWEES.

YVitnesses:

WM. GEO. Dnwuns, ALICE STERLING.

